Author: Nicole Iizuka

Aside from their melodramatic love song to a girl across the country, Plain White T’s, otherwise known as that band from ABC Family’s Greek, will be playing an awesome concert at the El Rey this Friday October 7th. They’ll be joined on stage with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Allison Park.

Here’s your chance to check them out! Thanks to the awesome guys at Goldenvoice, we have a pair of tickets to give-a-way to one lucky Blogging.LA reader.

Leave a comment below with your favorite Plain White T’s song and I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday October 5th @ 12PM PST. Please be sure to check your email / twitter because if I don’t hear back from you, I’ll have to pick someone else!!

The band name comes from the idea of the “Hundredth Monkey Effect” in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical number is reached. A pretty cool idea about the spread of information if I do say so…

But perhaps they’re more known now for their lead singer Jackson Rathbone (aka Jasper from the Twilight Saga you twi-hards) who’s soothing vocals add to the lovely sounds of their music. Or if there are any ABC Family Greek fans out there (I will forever be part of the I <3 Cappie fan club) Jerad Anderson, the guitarist & back-up vocals singer, played Casey’s underage heartthrob in the episode with all the puppies!

Whatever your reasons are for loving this band, thanks to the awesome guys at Goldenvoice I have a few pairs of tickets to the 100 Monkey’s concert at the El Rey on August 25th to give-a-way to some lucky Blogging.LA readers. So leave a comment below telling me what/who you’re most excited about seeing & I’ll pick winners on Tuesday August 23rd @ 12PM PST.

With quite the semi-inappropriate, yet entirely on point moniker, the Portland based electronica band STRFKR upholds their end of the bargain with catchy tunes that ring true to their name. Here’s your chance to see them in concert touring with their newest album Reptilians. Besides who doesn’t love rocking out at the El Rey? I know I do.

Thanks to the always gracious and amazing folks at Goldenvoice, I have 2 pairs of tickets to give-a-way to some lucky Blogging.LA readers!

Leave a comment below & I’ll pick winners randomly by Wendesday August 10th @ 10AM PST for the STRFKR show at the El Rey on Thursday August 11th.

You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies, lit up the world as I fell asleep…

Addictingly catchy, Owl City is a great band to see in concert & they’re on tour with their new CD “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” Adam Young tells us that…

The music and lyrics conspire to make listeners feel as if they were stepping into another world — a verdant musical dreamland where “reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” as [he] sings on the opening track “The Real World.” Images of abundance, like a backyard of butterflies (“Honey and the Bee”), blossoms filling a room (“Hospital Flowers”), and “sunsets that dazzle in the dusk” (“Dreams Don’t Turn To Dust”) unfold alongside starry-eyed imaginings of cherry bombs staining blackbirds red (“Kamikaze”) and dipping one’s toes in the galaxy (“Alligator Sky”).

Thanks to our friends at Goldenvoice, I have a bunch of tickets to give away to lucky Blogging.LA Readers! Please leave your comments below (and specify which concert you’d like to attend) and I will pick some lucky winners Tuesday July 19th @ 12PM PST. **Update** Winners picked. Still have a pair for FOX Pomona, if anyone still wants!

And I need you now tonight! And I need you more than ever. And if you only hold me tight, we’ll be holding on forever…

Raise your hand if you’re a fan of Old School. Ok, now keep it raised if you’ve experienced The Hangover IRL. If your hand is still up, maybe consider checking yourself in for a stint at rehab perhaps?

Thanks to our friends at Goldenvoice I’ve got a ton of tickets for their upcoming show, so please leave a comment below & I’ll choose a bunch of lucky Blogging.LA readers to rock out with the “hey, weren’t you in that movie” band downtown.

Contest ends July 6th at Noon PST. Winners will be selected by Random.org

If you’d like to buy tickets to the show, you can do so here: Goldenvoice

And yet another concert in the pipes from the AWESOME folk at Goldenvoice, here’s your chance to win a pair of tickets to Rooney’s concert at the El Rey. It’s sure to be a great concert from these local Los Angelino’s & I’d love to give a pair of tickets to a lucky Blogging.LA reader!

Got to keep this post short as I’m trying to get this out while packing for my trip to Japan (and STILL SUPER SAD about missing the Matt & Kim concert) so if you’d like to go, please leave a comment below & I’ll pick a winner at random on Tuesday June 21st at noon PST. Good luck everyone!

In case Matt & Kim aren’t quite your thing, Goldenvoice has also donated a pair of tickets to the Kid Cudi show on June 22nd at Nokia Live!

In 2004 with only $500 and a demo tape in his pocket, Cleveland rapper Scott Mescudi moved to NYC with stars in his eyes and hope in his heart. 7 years later and Kid Cudi is one of the hottest acts playing sold out shows all over the country, and here’s your chance to go for free…

Please leave a comment below & one lucky Blogging.LA reader will get a pair of tickets to Kid Cudi’s show.

I’ll pick a reader at random for the show, contest ends Wednesday June 15th at noon PST, so start the commenting!

$25 for unlimited tastings of 25 wines? Sold. M Street Kitchen is hosting a little “Toast of the Coast” (meaning of course, the RIGHT coast, as in the WEST coast. Duh) on Tuesday June 21st. This is your chance to try out a ton of wines from some of California’s best vineyards all while munching on delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Erik Palmer. From Green Chili Burger Sliders to Bacon Wrapped Dates & Pimento to Lobster Rolls, there’s no culinary decadence that’s been overlooked!

And for those of you who like to indulge in a little sweet with your wine, they’re whipping up a Strawberry Caramel Bar with Pistachio & Coconut. There will be wine connoisseurs on hand to give you tips and tools to impress your schnazzy friends at your next “wine & cheese” party, leaving them to wonder at your new found expertise.

So stop by M Street Kitchen and start sipping! Reservations are encouraged; guests may call 310-396-9145 for registration and payment.

I’ve really been looking forward to the matt & kim concert for a while, but alas have been sidetracked by an impromptu trip to Japan (they’re running crazy travel deals to re-boost their tourism in case you’re wondering), so if you’re the lucky winner, you better dance your heart out for me as well!

Thanks to our friends at Goldenvoice, they’ve sent over a pair of tickets for one lucky Blogging.LA reader to the upcoming Matt & Kim Concert at the Music Box on Friday June 17th. Being terribly sad about not being able to go, I want you guys to leave a comment below with your favorite Japanese food and/or (since we’re promoting the awesome M&K duo) your favorite memory associated w/ a M&K song.

I’ll pick a reader at random to get a pair of tickets for Friday night’s show! The contest ends Tuesday June 14th at noon PST.

Yo Hipsters, Comic Book Nerds & Alcoholics Anonymous Members (you know who you are)… if you fall into one of these categories, then make sure to clear your Friday night to check out the opening reception of “Here is my Art” A Yo Gabba Gabba Gallery Show at Meltdown Comics on Sunset.

And for the alcoholics & those in recovery alike, the adorable duo of Alie & Georgia will be on hand whipping up a Yo Gabba Gabba cocktail which will be sure to surprise, tingle and amaze your taste-buds.

In the lovely Blogging (in) LA series thus far, there has been a wide variety of news worthy, photographically stunning, and extremely useful blogs covered, but I’m here to bring in a little sweet & savory into the mix. Food.

Foodies and Food Bloggers in Los Angeles are making a huge impact in the landscape of both culinary invention as well as the venues in which food is both served and enjoyed. They are at the forefront of defining a new set of guidelines on which a restaurants success or failure can be measured, and perhaps one of the most prolific (& one of my personal favorites) food bloggers is kevinEats. (http://www.kevineats.com/)

If you haven’t ever read his reviews, you are in for an undeniable treat. A well versed photographer who is able to capture the mouthwatering essence of high end dining, kevinEats‘s knowledge of chefs du jour as well as their master counterparts is astounding, and his posts which generally pre-empt the debut of new restaurants to hit the LA scene exquisitely summarize the experience and tantalize his readers to follow in his footsteps. If there’s a new chef in town, you can bet that kevinEats will be there, hobnobbing with the staff, part-taking in tasting menus designed to make us wish we had better paying jobs and in general giving us a glimpse into which restaurants SHOULD be added to our never-ending bucket list.

But, reader be warned… this is not a blog to be consumed on an empty stomach, or you’ll find yourself angry that you’re not sitting in front of a plate of teriyaki foie gras or squid ink pasta. Well, you might still be angry on a full stomach, but it won’t be quite as painful.

This past weekend Downtown LA played host to the Red Bull Soapbox Race, a national race for amateur drivers fueled by creativity & of course speed. Starting at the top of 5th & Grand, the course wound it’s way down the side of Pershing Square lined with hay-bales and spectators alike. Some were victorious, others crashed & burned but in the most spectacular of fashion, and all shared a raw enthusiasm for competition. Over 115,000 attendees came out to cheer on their favorite teams to fame & glory, but there can only be one winner… Team Lakers FanWagon who was coincidentally first off the starting gates, held onto their lead throughout the competition, taking home the gold. For those of you who missed the event, check out the photos below!

For those of you who couldn’t make the trek to Coachella last month, here’s your chance to check out one of the best bands from the weekend! Yelle :: a french pop singer who’s unique & fun music first came to prominence with her song “Short Dick Cuizi,” who’s album Safari Disco Club was a smashing success and who’s now touring with Katy Perry!

Step aside Chelsea Handler, there’s a new IT girl on the street and her name is Hilary Winston. Formerly head writer of the Emmy®-award-winning “My Name is Earl“, and currently a writer/producer on “Community“, the incredibly funny & talented Ms. Winston wrote a book. Well. Wrote a book in response to her boyfriend writing a book…

What? Who are these people who have enough time in their lives to have a full job, AND write a retaliatory book to the book their boyfriend wrote about them? Oh, no sorry, you’re still confused about the whole “book being written in retaliation to a book” part.

Let’s start from the beginning. Hilary, having just gotten out of a semi-serious relationship, and putting the piece of her life back together gets sucker-punched when she wanders into a bookstore to find that her Ex has written a novel. A novel about their relationship. One in which she’s referenced throughout as the “fat-assed girlfriend.” True story.

From the ashes was born a phoenix. A hilarious book of a phoenix with, albeit one with a broken vagina.

You know what? Hilary could do a much better job making sense of the absurdity that is her life… and wouldn’t you know it, you’re in luck! She’s doing a book signing on THURSDAY MAY 19th at the Grove Barnes & Noble, where you can ask her any and all of the questions you have about her fat ass, broken vagina, bikini waxes & community paintball.

Fretting over finding that last minute, yet oh so perfect gift for your mother? Or perhaps you’re tired of going to the standard Mom-osa filled brunch & want to try something new… Well you’re in luck, this weekend the wonderful Sonja Rasula is putting in another installment of the coolest independent design & shopping show in the country, Unique LA.

With over 300 designers & artists showcasing their wares over the course of two-days of fun filled shopping this is truly an event not to be missed. I know I always come home with armfuls of amazing finds, from jewelry, to purses, to ironic t-shirts for my boyfriend & one-of-a-kind “omg where did you FIND that” outfits for me. It’s also a great way to meet a ton of local designers, many of whom are right here in Los Angeles! Plus there are a ton of workshops & food vendors peddling all sorts of yummy treats camped out at the event. You can even check out a preview of some of the awesome clothes in their new catalog!